Associate Professor and Licensed Psychologist, School Psychology Certification Program Coordinator

Brief Bio

Dr. Mark McGowan joins the faculty in the Department of Educational and School Psychology from Flagstaff, Arizona where he earned his PhD in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in counseling. He is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania, a registrant of the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, and a nationally certified school psychologist with over 10 years of experience working with culturally diverse populations in both public and private settings. In his role as a school psychologist, he developed a specialization in working with violent and aggressive youth, with more than five years of experience conducting assessments and serving on threat management teams. He has also worked with school districts in the Phoenix area providing trainings as well as client-, consultee-, and program-centered consultation concerning violence and threat management issues. Additionally, Dr. McGowan was a part-time faculty member at Northern Arizona University and has experience working in both behavioral and addiction medicine. Primary areas of interest include provision of mental health services in educational settings, violence risk and threat assessment, school-based neuropsychological assessment, supervision, and training models within graduate programs. In his spare time, Dr. McGowan enjoys outdoor activities, including mountaineering, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking. However, his first love is spending time with his wife, Anne, and sons, Connor and Ian.

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Grounded
in a scientist-practitioner model of training, my instructional goals are to
further students’ professional development by assisting each student in
building upon strengths and interests in an interactive learning process that
encourages balance among theory, research, and practice. Although objectives
and expectations of specific courses vary in accordance with the needs of
students and content requirements, this model provides the foundation for my
teaching philosophy as well as the context for student learning in my classes.
By placing an emphasis on the integration of skill sets into professional
training, my intent is to provide students with an educational experience that
is motivating, practical, and functional for the development of independent
learning skills.

In
designing course format and evaluation requirements, I strive to optimize
student engagement and success. By establishing linkages between course
objectives and professional goals of students, learners are motivated to adopt
an active role in the educational process and individual professional
development. Student success is supported through structured and sequenced
learning activities that build on skill sets previously mastered or that are
developed within the context of the course. Successful outcomes for learning
are not merely measured by student comprehension or rote memorization of course
material, but by the student’s ability to meaningfully apply understandings in
situations typically encountered in aspired professional roles. Ultimately, modeling professional roles as
scientist and practitioner, students learn how to be discriminating consumers
of professional knowledge as each strives to achieve professional excellence in
the field of psychology.

In
the classroom, I make an effort to engage students in the learning process
through a multimodal approach that includes didactic instruction, collaborative
learning activities, modeling/demonstration, supervised practice, and
experiential exercises. For example, when I teach the graduate level course in
psychological assessment, didactic instruction generally includes my own
PowerPoint presentations accompanied by a written outline for students to
follow and questions or creative exercises for stimulating class discussion.
Integration and application of concepts is encouraged through the use of case
studies that require the student to actively engage in problem solving within a
practical context. Individual mentoring is also a priority in my teaching. I
actively encourage dialogue with students during office hours, by appointment,
telephone, and e-mail. I seek student
feedback, talk with peers, attend professional meetings, read about and
experiment with new methods to continuously improve my teaching techniques and
outcomes.

Currently,
school psychologists are called upon to integrate both scientist and
practitioner skill sets in their professional roles. This is apparent at the
systemic as well as at the individual level in the use of empirically supported
treatments and interventions, e.g., implementation of Response to Intervention
protocols. This demands that future professionals be equipped, now more than
ever, to evaluate, apply, and engage in the process of continued learning in
the field. It is my belief that this drive for professional excellence begins
in the classroom and is cultivated through the collaborative learning that
takes place between student and teacher.